Do EE really think I’d run up these bills if I knew the cost? It’s daylight robbery.

Paula Cochrane

EE have refused to refund Ms Cochrane for the incurred costs, placing the blame for the issue on her mobile handset.

However, they did offer her a £100 goodwill payment.

A company spokesperson told the newspaper: "Ms Cochrane incurred a series of charges for emojis which were sent in the form of MMS messages and fall outside of her monthly tariff.

“There are a number of factors which can affect whether customers are charged for sending an emoji.

"In this case it was caused by the settings on her handset and so this is a manufacturer – rather than a network – issue.

"We offered to add a credit to her account but this was refused.”

When contacted for further comment by Express.co.uk, an EE spokesperson said: “There are a number of factors which can cause a handset to turn a text message into an MMS, especially on some older handsets.

"That’s why we have worked with manufacturers to resolve this on newer devices and who now offer updates for older phones.

"Additionally we provide advice online for our customers.”

Ms Cochrane is now taking her complaint to the ombudsman.

Research by the communications watchdog Ofcom recently ranked EE as the worst for customer service out of Britain's mobile phone providers.

Earlier this week, BT announced a £12.5billion takeover of EE, with plans to cut £360 million in costs from running the network.

However, fears have recently been expressed that the concentration of Britain's mobile phone industry into the hands of a small number of companies could spark a market competition inquiry.